1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vinylcyclohexane-based polymers and a process for production thereof. More particularly, it is concerned with novel crystalline vinylcyclohexane-based polymers having mainly syndiotactic configuration, and a process for efficiently producing the vinylcyclohexane-based polymers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Amorphous polymers having atactic configuration and crystalline polymers having isotactic configuration are known as vinylcyclohexane-based polymers. Vinylcyclohexane-based polymers with isotactic configuration have a high melting point and are excellent in heat resistance, which can be prepared by polymerizing vinylcyclohexane in the presence of a Ziegler-Natta catalyst (J. Polym. Sci., A2, 5029 (1964)).
Vinylcyclohexane to be used as starting monomer, however, is expensive and is not easily available, which is a big problem in industrial production of vinylcyclohexanebased polymers.